3 local churches make national list for size, growth

Three San Antonio churches made Outreach magazine’s recently released list of the nation’s largest and fastest growing Protestant congregations.

Cornerstone Church came in at 31 on the list of largest churches with a reported 10,000 in average attendance and Community Bible Church at 38 with 9,678.

Community Bible also made the magazine’s list of fastest growing churches in America, which is based on percentage growth from the year before. It ranked 82nd and reported a 16 percent growth from last year.

Westover Hills Assembly of God made the same list, ranking 27th with a reported 44 percent growth from last year.

Outreach magazine is a quarterly publication designed for evangelical Christian leaders to learn about church growth trends. The annual church listing was a collaboration of the magazine and Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The report notes that seven of the top-10 fastest-growing churches have several locations where they offer services, even outside of their home cities.

The largest church this year? Again, Lakewood Church in Houston, pastored by Joel Osteen, with a reported 47,000 in weekly attendance.